Saturday 16 October 2010

Newport's Hurley War Dead

My grandfather, Daniel Hurley fought in WW1 with the Royal Engineers.

In trying to find out a little more about this I came across the website below which details the Hurleys from Newport, Gwent who died in WW1, two of whose memorial is in St Mary's RC Church (I assume in Newport).

Interestingly, my grandfather was born in Ireland and, as yet, I do not know if he was recruited or called-up in Ireland or Wales, because in WW1, 1914-1918, the whole of Ireland was still officially part of the United Kingdom (despite the 1916 Easter Rising).

It wasn't until Ireland was partitioned in 1921 that Kinsale, County Cork and all of what we now know as 'southern Ireland,' 'the Irish Republic' or 'Eire' became the Irish Free State.

So it is perfectly feasible that during WW1 a Hurley from Kinsale may have signed up or been called up for service in the British Army.

A 'Who Do You Think You Are?' documentary I watched a while back (Dervla Kirwin I think???) broached this very subject, and said that service in the army was normal, even for those with Irish republican (Sinn Fein/IRA) sympathies.

My search for Daniel Hurley's war record with the Royal Engineers continues...

Link:
Newport's War Dead: H

World War One memorial Hurley, Daniel, 40, 26th September 1917, 10th Bn. Royal Welsh Fusiliers,  
33741, Private, Son of Bartholomew and Noah Hurley, of 11, 
Wallis St., Pill, Newport, Mon., TYNE COT MEMORIAL,  
Panel 63 to 65.Local memorial - St Mary's RC church

Obituary Hurley, Harold, 21, 29th April 1916, Private
Hurley, Harold, 24th May 1917,  
1st/4th Bn Devonshire Regiment, 200743, 
Private, BASRA MEMORIAL, Panel 11.
Hurley, John. Royal Engineers, 768, Sapper,     
WW1 Local memorial - General Post Office, 
Newport and St Mary's RC church
Hurley, Victor, 23rd October 1918, 9th Bn.  
The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, 41364, 
Private, BERLIN SOUTH-WESTERN CEMETERY, XVIII. B. 9.

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